| Sunscreens |
Ah, summer. Swimming pools and barbecues. Beaches and picnics.
You want to get outside and safely enjoy summer with your family. You know that sunscreen is an integral part of protecting yourself and your loved ones, but are you doing enough?
A quick review of the basics:
Always apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen wears off. Reapply every two hours. Even when properly applied, water-resistant sunscreens can wear off in as little as forty minutes of swimming. Make sure to reapply after drying off.
Ready for some new ideas?
Consider the SPF rating: 5, 15, 30, etc. What does that number mean to you? Think of it this way: SPF 30 allows 1/30th of UV rays onto your skin, while SPF 15 allows 1/15th. From a different angle, SPF 30 screens 97% of harmful sunlight, while SPF 15 screens 93%. The American Dermatology Association recommends that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15.
Once you have the right sunscreen, are you using enough of it? An adult body needs an ounce of sunscreen to cover exposed body parts adequately. That's the volume of two tablespoons or a shot glass. Making a bottle of sunscreen last all summer cheats your skin out of proper protection.
If you have sensitive skin, ask us about a sunscreen that fits your needs.
Armed with this knowledge, we hope you have a safe and fun summer with your family.
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| No Needle? No Problem!
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Injections are an important component of modern medicine. Shots, however quick or small, still cause anxiety and pain. Some people even avoid needles to the point of jeopardizing their health.
The expanding field of nanotechnology -creating materials on an incredibly small scale- could rob the syringe of a job in the coming years. Companies around the world are racing to develop ways to deliver the contents of a syringe in a cream.
Keep an eye out for these 'topical vaccines' in the news and online.
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| Skin Tags |
| Nearly half of all people develop rice grain sized 'tags' of skin during their lives. The armpit is the most common spot, but they come up wherever the skin creases, the groin and the breasts are two other common sites. While we don't know their origin, we're sure they're no cause for concern.
'Skin tags', or acrochorda, are small, benign tumors. They only need to be removed if they become painful from regular agitation. There are a variety of techniques to remove acrochorda, but many health care plans treat the procedure as cosmetic surgery. Check with your insurer before considering the procedure.
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